SAMURAI RISING
by TFL's FallingRock Studios
Summary: Orphaned young Roronoa Zoro grows up facing enemies in Tokyo corrupting the city. Rising up he trains with Dracule Mihawk in order to face evil and face his greatest fears becoming the legendary hero Samurai. *Based on Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins, One Piece AU, Roronoa Zoro centric, re-uploaded*


What makes a hero and what makes a legend are two sides of an opposite coin. A hero can be remembered for their deeds long after death. But legend is more than that and in its icon can never die. It is what separates a man from icon.

"Roronoa Zoro… if you are devoted, if you will it, you can become a legend. That is a goal we strive for. Can you accomplish this?"

The man known as Roronoa Zoro stood straight looking at his master's hawk like eyes. Dracule Mihawk watched Zoro as the young man held his blades in the grip of his hands while standing tense. He knew much about his students psychological trauma and his overall train of thought and knew Zoro was thinking back. The man stood before him but his mind was somewhere else again. It wouldn't be the first time.

"Master…. I am ready. I know what it means to carry out justice. I have no fear." Zoro spoke seriously. His gray eyes looked into Mihawk's showing a fierce flame of courage.

The master stifled a laugh turning around. "Then let us begin my apprentice. The exam begins now."

At that same moment, several tens of men in black ninja like suits appeared around Zoro and Mihawk. The younger man looked widely around the group noticing his master disappeared from his sights. He then took a deep breath calming his mind for a bit. Zoro then pulled his sword out of its sheath letting its glow in splendor while the other warriors pulled out their own swords. This would be the test he had been awaiting.

Zoro then charged at his opponents swinging his sword in fierce elegance striking down several enemies. The warriors all charged as the man guarded while maneuvering around the blades and cutting down others. Mihawk stood atop a balcony watching as his student mercilessly cut down each and every opponent that came to him. He was proud to say the least and admired his students strength seeing it displayed fluently. Next to Mihawk several men dressed in sage garbs stood watching Zoro in mixed curiosity.

"That is the boy who came from Tokyo is it not Mihawk san?" one of the sages asked. He appeared the eldest with the most wrinkles on his face and a gray long beard hanging from his chin.

"That is right Katsumoto. That man there has grown so much since he arrived oh so long ago. But Roronoa Zoro is still conflicted. By what, I do not really know. I am sure that he has strength and could use it properly." Mihawk commented as Zoro had leaped striking two men down.

"And yet you believe Roronoa is not ready right?" Katsumoto added wisely. He could tell what Mihawk thought as he had trained the man many years before. They were wise an analytically able to spot faults and scars among their warriors.

From Roronoa Zoro, they could see one large scar in his soul.

Zoro had made it up to the air watching his opponents leap up. The green haired man had taken two other swords in his hands while his personal sword rested between his teeth. In a stunning surprise, Zoro flew downwards with all three swords at the ready.

"Oni giri!"

Mihawk, Katsumoto, and all the elders eyes widened as Zoro effortlessly cut down all the incoming opponents. They landed onto the ground like leaves on a fall day while Zoro dropped in grace. He raised his head with his teeth biting hard onto his swords hilt. Mihawk raised an eyebrow noticing this from his student.

Katsumoto seemed to smile. "Well my friend, you were spot on about his strength."

* * *

**RORONOA ZORO**

**SAMURAI RISING**

* * *

_Roronoa Zoro was a carefree child. He chased after his friend, Kuina in delight passing through the brush of the grass. They were in the Ishiyama Orphanage home along with other children who played in the yard. Some wondered why one of the richest children in the city now lived at this shabby looking place._

_Of course, even though an orphan, Zoro did not actually live here. He only visited while he lived with his butler, Brook, at the Roronoa Estate. Being an only child and sheltered from most, Brook decided the young lad needed interaction with other children. The orphanage was an excellent choice as the Roronoa's had funded it letting it last long to this day. However the one child who bonded most with Zoro was the young Kuina._

_"Ha! Beat you Zoro! I got away!" Kuina said matter of factly proud at her endeavor. Zoro pouted at the girl sitting cross legged._

_"C'mon Kuina! I just want to see what you found!"_

_The dark haired girl only shook her head. "Finders keepers Zoro! I found it so it's mine!"_

_This only made Zoro pout even more. "But al I want to do is see."_

_Kuina sighed at this. She then waved at the green haired boy to come over. Zoro then had a smile on his face and ran over taking a peek into the girl's hands._

_"Now look squirt. It's just a little shard." Kuina opened her hands gently revealing the shining item the boy. Zoro was immediately interested as his eyes watched in fascination._

_"Woah. Where did you get it Kuina?" He asked now grabbing the item in his tiny fingers. It was metallic and appeared to have been part of some sort of a knife. At least to him._

_Kuina held her hands behind her back smiling. "I was looking around the yard when I found it. It's cool right?" She asked eagerly. Zoro meanwhile stared at the item and handed it back._

_"I don't like it. You keep it."_

_This action caused the girl to gasp. "B-B-But you were so interested earlier! Why so unimpressed!"_

_Zoro only shrugged turning away from the girl. "Eh. It's not really that cool."_

_Kuina was now insulted. She wouldn't take that from a shrimp like Zoro. The girl then jumped at Zoro tackling him to the ground resulting in a semi brawl between the two. The other children ran over cheering them on, no one really picking sides. Zoro and Kuina rolled around in the grass throwing punches and kicks while facing each other in their so called 'battles'._

_However the two's battle was interrupted as a strangely tall man dressed in a fine suit lifted the two up into the air. For someone like Zoro who had a small stature, the situation was almost frightening, but he none the less squirmed to try and get back Kuina as she likewise followed. The man in the suit only sighed looked at the two with his glasses shining._

_"Now children, do I have to ask what this little squabble is about." Zoro and Kuina turned from each other defiantly._

_"He insulted the treasure I found Mr. Brook! Zoro's a meanie!" Kuina said not wanting to look at said green haired boy._

_"Well that's because it sucked! Kuina has problems." Zoro said as if it was anything else._

_Brook would not have any of that and knocked the two children's heads together. This earned a wince from the other kids while the two being held yelped._

_"My, my, my. You kids are a handful I swear. Apologize to each other right this instant!" Brook exclaimed. The two didn't argue knowing that Brook wouldn't let them off that easily. They looked at each other silently._

_"I'm sorry."_

_"I'm sorry too."_

* * *

Zoro awoke from his dream with the cold ceiling in his view. The man was lying on his mattress in his room in the mountain base which he called home. It was a small room much more like a cell with the bed in the corner taking up most space and a small shelf to the opposite side. A window sat above Zoro's head letting in the morning light basks in. This was his current life.

How Roronoa Zoro had once left his old life to come here somewhat baffled him. It felt like so long ago when he and Kuina played together back in Tokyo. He could remember that day when Kuina found a shard of a Samurai's Katana so clearly. It was found to be worth millions which Kuina could have used for herself. But instead she gave it to him as a token of their friendship, when they were older. Now it rested around Zoro's neck reminding him of his past.

He needed a drink.

Slowly he sat up from his mattress and rubbed his hair. The showers were located at the other side and he would head over when ready. Before that he would do a set of pushups to get his blood flowing. It was a relaxing routine that he developed at his time here and it worked quite well. Zoro then stood up and faced the familiar picture that he kept on his shelf. When he first arrived he came here with nothing else but the clothes on his back, his necklace, and that photo.

It was of Kuina. She looked beautiful smiling into the camera wearing a white summer's dress. He remembered when it was taken.

How much Zoro pained at the memory of it. But he would not abandon this memento he kept. It was something that managed to keep him moving forward. It was now the emblem of his new goal in mind. That was why he was standing here in this fortress in the mountains.

It was Months ago, before he'd come to this place for training, when Zoro had been an inmate of Chiang Fong Prison located in the middle of Central Asia. It was more of a concentration camp to say the least where people of different backgrounds, claimed to be criminals, were placed. Anyone who committed a crime, weather from one country or gender or age was placed here described by some as 'hell'. But as Zoro said, it was colder than hell. That was how he got into this mess in the first place. He was sitting in his cell along with a woman named Gigi who watched over him as he rested.

"Did you have another nightmare?" She asked silently. Zoro looked up at her concerned face before waving her off.

"It was nothing. I'm just tired."

"That was what you said yesterday. You haven't been sleeping well." Gigi confirmed. Zoro looked up at her again as she seemed to stare deep within his soul. Apparently she knew him better than he did.

Then a loud horn sounded echoing throughout the walls of the prison. Zoro sat up and led Gigi out into the halls where heavily armed guards watched the inmates walk to breakfast. It was always around one hour before noon just when the sun illuminated the rest of the icy slopes around the prison when the inmates were hauled over for breakfast. Of course to any regular civilian the food could be called nothing more than slop. But Zoro wasn't picky about what he got. After all, the slop came with bread and warm water.

"I think Big Red isn't finished with you yet." Gigi warned looking over Zoro's shoulder. At the other table sat Big Red, a large burly hulk of a man covered in dark tattoos and was bald. A long scar ran down his right eye a petty mark of all the fights he'd been into throughout his days. He was quite sadistic and practically ran things around beating inmates for his own pleasure. Zoro was a favorite since the man always seemed to get back up.

"As long as he gets me after breakfast I don't care what he does." Zoro commented not really caring. Gigi stared at him.

"You are not afraid?" She asked.

Zoro downed his water before shaking his head. "No. Why should I be?"

At that moment, Big Red walked over to Zoro's table. He slammed a fist down shocking Gigi who froze still. Zoro appeared unfazed as he continued to eat his breakfast. Big Red was not pleased and grabbed the bowl from the man's hands and tossed it to the side violently.

"You, green man, are really stupid. You think you can beat me here? I rule this place. Cause this is hell!" Big Red said hoping to put fear into Zoro. The green haired man didn't bat an eye but only bit into his bread.

"At least I've got my bread." Zoro commented sarcastically. Big Red would have none of this and pulled up Zoro by his shirt. He looked straight into his eyes raising a fist. The guards stood at their post not paying much mind at all. Rather two others were wagering who would win this fight.

"You think you're funny eh? Well here's a joke. You beat me!"

Big Red almost landed a punch on Zoro until the green haired man kicked his gut. Red crouched down in pain giving Zoro the opportunity to deliver a roundhouse kick to his head. Red's gang ran over to assist their boss and take down Roronoa.

"Please. You guys are just a warm up."

Zoro grabbed one man by his head and punched him straight to his face. Another ran wielding a knife to cut Zoro's neck. But he grabbed his wrist and twisted it around breaking it. Two others ran over tackling Zoro to a table causing a loud commotion to ensue. Zoro twirled his legs kicking his attackers and rushing over punching down more of them.

Gigi watched in shock as Zoro took down Red's gang eagerly. One by one each of Red's thugs fell as Zoro stood out on top. Red himself recovered punching over Zoro while the shorter man blocked and delivered. By now the guards were running over holding back prisoners hoping to stop this. But Zoro finished by punching Big Red's jaw sending him over another table breaking it.

Two guards grabbed Zoro by his back arms pulling him away while others restrained Red's gang. Gigi watched Zoro get pulled away as the chief guard followed behind Zoro.

"We are giving you solitary confinement 627! Don't disobey us again!"

"What? Why the hell are you giving me confinement?"

"It's for protection!" one of the guards answered back.

"What the hell, I don't need protection!"

"Not for you idiot! Protection For them! You're reckless behavior is causing the prisoners to go wild!"

Zoro was then thrown into the solitary cell roughly. He looked up as it was closed leaving him in the cold darkness. It was wet on the ground with the frost chill of the outside seeping in from a bottom window. The green haired man crawled over to the back to lean against the wall for some rest. He was tired after all and very weary.

Subconsciously, Zoro began to rub around the sword shard around his neck. How this item was allowed with him in prison he never figured out. But it soothed his mind thinking back to another time. He could almost feel Kuina's presence with him as he slowly closed his eyes.

"Are you that mad to fight criminals that you'd share their same home?"

A sudden voice startled Zoro awake. He could see a figure standing in the shadows. Apparently this person wasn't common here as Zoro spotted the mystery figure dressed in a fine white suit and fine shoes. He grumbled as the figure walked over revealing to be a man with a moustache and goatee looking older. What stood out though to Zoro was his piercing hawk like eyes.

"Maybe. Who's asking?"

The man didn't waver focusing on Zoro. He almost seemed to smile walked to the window in a silent concentration. Whatever it was, Zoro did not really understand. It seemed almost like a meditation that religious folks practiced to be at peace. It was something that never worked for Zoro.

"I am Dracule Mihawk. I work for the Cipher Shadows, an organization dedicated to training the best of fighters. Our purpose simply is to stop evil in whatever way we can." The man said calmly. Zoro didn't budge but looked away wiping water from the ground on his face.

"Sounds fun. But I'm not interested in your little club."

"Oh it is far more than a club _Roronoa san_."

This made Zoro pause. It had been a long time since anyone had called him that. He looked up at the man called Mihawk. "How do you know my name?"

Mihawk seemed to stifle a laugh. "You were only the son of one of Japan's wealthiest and most financially successful family's. And when you took up swordsmanship it was all over the news. I remember seeing this and reminded of how much you look like your father."

This only made Zoro stand on end. Dracule Mihawk appeared strange showing up from nowhere and claiming to know of his identity. Strange it was indeed. It peeked his interests.

"I am sure that a successful man of your stature didn't come here by a petty crime. Whatever the reason, I know that you placed yourself here, maybe though it seems like you've lost your way looking for something when you disappeared years ago." Mihawk crouched by Zoro to face him eye level. Zoro did not move focusing heavily on the man's words.

He left Tokyo for a reason. He couldn't face fear. He wasn't strong enough. He left to escape his pain and the trouble that happened. But now, what was he doing? Mihawk had brought up a point making Zoro think heavily for the first time in a long while.

"Roronoa, as a man you feel helpless. Evil seems to be stronger no matter how hard you try to stand up. That is an undeniable truth. But…" Mihawk paused. "If you make yourself beyond just a man and if you devote your entirety, then you will become something better. It will help you rise up and find your true destiny."

Zoro looked up at Mihawk. He honestly did not know what he was talking about. The hawk eyed man could sense this and stood up to walk over to the door.

"I have arranged for your immediate release for tomorrow. The Elite Shadows headquarters lies to the west deep into the mountains. If you want to discover your destiny then go there. You may find what you're looking for there."

Mihawk opened the door letting in some light enter in. Zoro watched silently as Mihawk departed leaving him there alone. Now he was left to his own thoughts ion the darkness sitting there. Whatever Mihawk spoke of it now called to him. Zoro knew he would follow the hawk eyed man until his call was answered.

He would rise.


End file.
